LONDON :Ailing defending champion Barbora Krejcikova was knocked out of Wimbledon when she was beaten 2-6 6-3 6-4 by American 10th seed Emma Navarro in a disjointed Court One contest on Saturday.
Czech Krejcikova, seeded 17, led by a set and a break of serve but faded badly and looked physically drained in the final set in which she required treatment from the doctor.
A distressed Krejcikova, who has had a difficult season plagued by a back injury, battled on but appeared to be in tears as she prepared to serve to stay in the tournament at 3-5 in the decider, bravely holding serve to prolong the contest.
But Navarro held her nerve to seal victory and ensure that, for the eighth Wimbledon in a row, the women’s singles champion will be a first-time winner.
Navarro, who reached the quarter-finals last year, will face 18-year-old seventh seed Mirra Andreeva in the next round.
A 15-minute interruption for drizzle after two games and a blustery breeze hardly helped the flow of an untidy contest in which Navarro struck only 13 winners to Krejcikova’s 34.
But the American managed to focus through the distractions, with Krejcikova at times bent double between points in the third set after having her blood pressure and pulse checked.
“It was tough out here today, neither of us played our best tennis, she was dealing with some injuries and I was dealing with whatever I was dealing with,” Navarro said on court.
“It’s not easy to be composed (when your opponent is struggling). Part of you is saying just put a bunch of balls in the court and that’s all you need to do.
“But then you trick yourself into not playing the way you want to play.”
After the early rain stoppage left the players twiddling their thumbs on court with officials opting not to shut the roof or cover the grass, Krejcikova settled better and reeled off four games in a row on her way to taking the opening set.
Krejcikova broke serve for a 2-1 lead in the second set but, unlike earlier when she went on a roll, she lost the momentum as Navarro began to dig in her heels.
“I like to play scrappy and get a few more balls back in the court,” Navarro said of her change in fortunes.
Navarro broke serve twice on her way to levelling the match with Krejcikova then going off court for a comfort break and Navarro having a long pep talk from her coach Peter Ayers.
The 24-year-old saved five break points in the second game of the third set and Krejcikova looked mortified when she was broken in the next game, staring into space as her hopes faded.
Krejcikova broke back, but then lost her own serve immediately as Navarro found the corner with a sweetly-struck backhand. After being checked over by the doctor, Krejcikova dragged herself back to the baseline and even found some inspiration to level the set at 3-3.
Despite the support of a sympathetic crowd, Krejcikova looked close to collapse at times in the finals stages as her Wimbledon reign came to a bitter end.
